1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to method of and apparatus for finishing the surfaces of workpieces, and more particularly to improved methods and apparatus of the recipro-finishing type in which workpieces such as automobile fenders having a curved profile are subjected to both reciprocating and rocking movements in a finishing trough containing finishing media.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional surface finishing apparatuses of the recipro-finishing type disclosed herein usually are designed to finish the surfaces of workpieces by subjecting the workpieces to reciprocating movement in a finishing trough containing media, for instance, abrasive chips and, if necessary, appropriate amounts of water and chemical substances (referred to herein as "media"), and have their uses or applications in fields of surface processing such as polishing, pickling, chemical processing, electro polishing, chemical polishing and plating.
Practically all of the conventional apparatuses are disadvantageous with respect to surface-finishing workpieces having a curved profile such as automobile fenders, since they are only designed to process the workpieces by reciprocating them in a horizontal direction in a finishing trough and in some cases by vertical movement of the trough. It is difficult or almost impossible to obtain satisfactorily uniformly finished surfaces of the curved workpieces in this manner because of variations in the contact condition between the media and the workpiece to be finished, depending on the different angles of the workpiece surfaces and the different manners or degrees of the finishing operation. Thus, the surfaces are unevenly finished.